Compares communication course offerings in four-year U.S. colleges and universities against a list of needed communication skills for communication professionals in business, education, social sciences, and the health sciences. Offers suggestions for appropriate communication curricula to meet the need of the four disciplines. (SR)

Finds that New Zealand students sampled were significantly less willing to communicate and experienced greater communication apprehension than U.S. students. Finds significant negative correlations for United States students between communication apprehension and humor variables (liking of humor, sensitivity to humor, and coping humor), whereas…

Reports the findings of a study designed to investigate children's deictic changes, use of speech act verbs, and preference for reporting system in their retold narratives. Claims that a linear age function emerged and that children's mastery of direct and indirect speech extends over many years. (HB)

Analyzes the referential strategies used in narrative discourse by 10 adults and 60 Japanese children aged 3 to 7 years. Determines the factors underlying choice of nominal versus elliptical forms. Discusses results in terms of cognitive, social, and linguistic factors underlying referential choice. (HB)

This study seeks to provide an introduction to some linguistic features of adolescent-therapist conversation, focusing on characteristics of adolescent speech that may appear during therapy. These include problems of expressing feelings, therapy talk as schoolroom talk, powerful forms of questioning, adolescent narrative, and lying. (26…

Outlines a rationale, resources, and suggestions for teaching interpersonal communication with feature films. Includes a table of 72 widely available feature films and the interpersonal communication topics illustrated in each one. (SR)

Describes two projects developed as part of a Communication Skills course for trainee electronic technicians. The students are taught to communicate via a simulated TV phone. Some communicative features of the simulated TV phone are described, and potential uses in language teaching are outlined. (GLR)

Describes a communication curriculum of and for the future, which would be independent, integrated, inclusive, and visionary. Includes the mission statement and goals from one such communication program. (SR)

Explores, through rhetorical criticism, the prismatic character of the Gettysburg Address. Gives attention to the form and constituents of Lincoln's speech and to available topoi that were omitted from it. (SR)

Discusses how Joseph Pulitzer and the multifaceted sensationalism of his newspapers offer essential lessons for teaching a large lecture class in mass communication. (SR)

The common themes expressed in articles in this volume are that children become literate in the context of relationships; literacy is dependent on oral discourse; literacy is a set of social functions, practices, and forms, not a hierarchy of skills based on units of written language; and beginning literacy users benefit from access to social,…

Addresses the public presence of communication study on university campuses. Argues that communication researchers lack a clear vision about the field, which is fractured into subfields intent on internal debates rather than the public responsibility of its scholars. Suggests that communication scholars offer inchoate curricula for communication…

Finds that most students spend 10% or less of their MBA education on communication topics. Argues that, although there has been an increase in communication offerings, MBA programs are remiss in reshaping curricula to conform to the new skills required of business managers and leaders. Offers suggestions for public relations faculty involvement in…

Examines the goals, methods, and effects of four current deliberative civic education programs, with an in-depth analysis of one: the National Issues Forums (NIF). Shows that NIF can bolster participants' political self-efficacy, refine their political judgments, broaden their political conversation networks, and reduce their conversational…

Finds that communication-skills instruction generates (using the Binomial Effect Size Display) a 44% increase in critical-thinking ability. Finds that forensic participation demonstrated the largest positive impact on critical-thinking improvement, but that all communication skills experiences demonstrated significant improvement. (SR)